Kids in back question

[evtilsley]

Hi all, am thinking about an Octavia estate for the family car. Is it possible to get 3 kids in the back, aged 2, 5 and 7 ?

So 2 high back boosters, one toddler seat with base.

Can the passenger airbag be switched off?

Not sure how what the differences are from 2004 - 2013 but assume same answers apply ?

Cheers Ed

[andy-fisher]

I couldn't make them fit.  I ended up buying a Renault Scenic which is not advisable but at least the child seats fitted.  Im back in an Octavia again now one of my children is out of their booster.   The airbag can be switched off if mounting a rear facing seat in the front but with two high back boosters in the rear there is very little room left in the centre to actually accommodate a human. A multimac seat would make it possible to get the 3 kids in the back but they are expensive.

 

The government does state that if you cant fit 3 child seats in the rear of the car then the eldest child can use an adult belt without a seat as long as they are over 3.

 

https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/when-a-child-can-travel-without-a-car-seat

Edited 9 August, 2016 by andy-fisher

[evtilsley]

We've a Zafira. Same thing - dislike. Want rid of. 

[andy-fisher]

Sell the Zafira and use the money to buy a Multimac seat for the Fabia.

 

https://multimac.co.uk/home

Edited 9 August, 2016 by andy-fisher

[evtilsley]

Not having that little messy team in my lovely Fab !!!

[skinnyman]

We've got three children aged 9, 7 and 4.  The eldest is tall enough to not need a seat of any description, the middle child uses a Bubblebum http://www.bubblebum.co/ and the youngest is in a high backed booster seat.  Until recently we had the two youngest on a high backed booster and the eldest on the Bubblebum.  It was a squeeze but they fitted.  

We had to sell our beloved MK1 Octavia (under duress I might add) to fit three kids seats across the back & ended up with a  Honda FRV.  This lasted two years but it was a real struggle in terms of sanity as I absolutely despise people carriers for many reasons.  The following car was a Vectra VXR and this helped ease the pain of the diesel Honda.  The Vectra had quite a lot of room across the rear bench and the two high backed boosters fitted well with the eldest in the middle.  

I returned to the Skoda fold in March and so far all three are happy in the back of the Octavia but the Jumbo Box does restrict the leg room for the eldest.  

 

To answer your original question though, I don't think you'll get a toddler seat with a base in to be honest.

Edited 9 August, 2016 by skinnyman

[andy-fisher]

Like I said, I can get all three in the back now one doesn't have a booster at all.  Maybe the new 'Messy Kids' seat solution is needed for your Fabia then.....

 

 

I need a lot more practice editing photos but I also only have Microsoft Paint on works computer.

Edited 9 August, 2016 by andy-fisher

[reverse]

Just to add: I'm quite tall and if using a isofix base for a maxi-cosi seat there is no way to fit it behind my seat. Octavias have massive boots, hence the rear seat cushion length is somewhat capped. I compared with my sisters Audi A4 and while the boot is smaller, the rear seat cushion is actually longer and the babyseat fits fine. Its a few cm difference but that's all what matters. Next car will be Superb, or something with four rings on the nose.

[evtilsley]

Just to add: I'm quite tall and if using a isofix base for a maxi-cosi seat there is no way to fit it behind my seat. Octavias have massive boots, hence the rear seat cushion length is somewhat capped. I compared with my sisters Audi A4 and while the boot is smaller, the rear seat cushion is actually longer and the babyseat fits fine. Its a few cm difference but that's all what matters. Next car will be Superb, or something with four rings on the nose.

 

Would a superb handle my 3-in-a-row need you think?

[evtilsley]

Other option is to just put up with the Zafira until our 2 yr old is 15kg - I think that's high back booster time, which should take up less roomk as dont need a monster base strapped in, like her current toddler seat does. Last time I weighed her she was approaching 13kg so a few huge meals should do it !!

[skinnyman]

Would a superb handle my 3-in-a-row need you think?

 

I looked at a Mk2 Superb before buying the Vectra.  Whilst being a bigger car physically it wasn't any better for fitting child seats across the rear bench.  It's all down to the side bolster design at either end of the bench.  I spent many hours looking into this and being disappointed that I had to cross some cars off my list due to the design of the rear seats.  If the car has lovely plush, plump bolsters then they push the child seats inwards and reduce the space available.  The more basic the rear bench, the better chance you have of fitting the child seats in.  

We fit all five of us just as well in the back of our little Ignis as we do in the Vectra and Octavia.  It's got a much more simple rear seat design so we can make use of more of the internal space.  It's crazy I know but that's what I've found anyway.  The door cards also play a part.  If they are too intrusive they can affect how three child seats fit as well.  Unless you've looked into this my findings may seem a little odd to some people as they assume that a bigger car can fit more people in.

One reason I've discounted some cars as a family vehicle is that they only have four seats.  The new Civic Type R being one.  My mate bought one new a few months back and as soon as I saw it I was gutted because it's only got two seats in the rear.  So does a Skyline R33, as does a C2 Loeb etc.  It's amazing how having three children has cocked up my car buying antics. :'(

Edited 10 August, 2016 by skinnyman

[andy-fisher]

I like the idea of the Multimac seat but didn't find that site until I had bought the Scenic.  They are expensive at over £1,600 with all the bits I'd want but the Scenic cost £3,500 and is rubbish compared to my old Octy1.  I couldn't afford two cars so the Octy went.  My son and daughter are tall enough to not require boosters but with my son, in the Octy2, the seatbelt goes across his neck.  The Scenic is even worse as the rear seat belt mounting point is even higher up and it nearly goes across his cheek! The law may say he can travel without a booster seat but the parent in me makes him have one.

[Wet Kipper]

Other option is to just put up with the Zafira until our 2 yr old is 15kg - I think that's high back booster time, which should take up less roomk as dont need a monster base strapped in, like her current toddler seat does. Last time I weighed her she was approaching 13kg so a few huge meals should do it !!

 

True about the size of the base, but as we found recently when buying a new HBB for our 3 yr old, the newer seats (certainly the ones which win the awards) have a lot more side impact protection at the top / shoulder level, which makes them a lot wider at the top than at the bottom, especially if you have it on the taller settings.

 

 

[evtilsley]

Roger that! We've got 2 Graco (IIRC) High Backs, they're maybe 3 yrs old & dont swell up anything like those in your picture thankfully.

 

Something like http://dam.which.co.uk.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/08a106d1-0884-4977-b448-6eba6e5a0539.jpg

[larsberg]

Would a superb handle my 3-in-a-row need you think?

As skinnyman said, superb is too narrow. Source: i have one and just tried to fit 3 seats in the back yesterday. Thinking we have to get a touran or smth now, we'll soon have 3 kids below the age of 3

[Aspman]

That Multimac is genius, I've a mate that's going to cry buckets when I show him that, he just dumped his beloved A4 for a Kia Carens to accommodate sprog 3.

Edited 12 August, 2016 by Aspman

[skinnyman]

That Multimac is genius, I've a mate that's going to cry buckets when I show him that, he just dumped his beloved A4 for a Kia Carens to accommodate sprog 3.

 

He'll probably be crying anyway so why add to his pain?

 

As for the Multimac, I was a click away from ordering one a few years back until the Mrs asked how we'd fold the rear seats down if needed.  On those odd occasions where we might not have all three kids in and had just picked something up from B&Q, how would we fold the left or right part of the rear seat down or open the ski hatch in the middle?  They may have changed the design since I last looked but at the time it wasn't able to do what we needed.